Lead Generation 
Conversion Rate 
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Responsify 
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Share Traditional B2B software sales included going out to find possible customers. In an era where execs in clinics, hospitals, and health systems are busier than ever before, and often sidetracked by countless emails and advertising, it’s important that you adjust your sales method to one that will work for today.
According to a Roper Public Affairs report from Forbes, 80% of business decision-makers like to get information from blogs, not ads. 70% said that content makes them feel closer to a company, and 60% said this content helps them make better buying decisions.
A new technique called the inbound sales methodology makes it easier for software leads to connect with you. The inbound sales process involves getting in touch and informing software leads using relevant content. This will help develop you as a trustworthy source and will raise the chances of getting more sales from the right people.
Here are some tips for getting qualified “inbound” leads to come your way:
The first step in inbound sales is understanding what leads you need, and that’s where buyer personas come in. A buyer persona is an imaginary personality that mirrors the difficulties, objectives, and responsibilities of your ideal customer. A good way to produce these personas is by doing research on your target market and existing customers. Questions you could ask are:
What are your responsibilities?
What tools do you use to get more information?
Who do you report to?
What are your goals?
What challenges do you face?
Aberdeen Essentials found that aligning content with the prospect’s phase in the buyer’s journey leads to a 72% greater conversion rate. After identifying your buyer personas, you and your marketing team can research and develop content that will interest them. In the Awareness phase, software leads are learning of their troubles. Educational content like blogs, ebooks, and social media articles will work well here. Whitepapers, how-to articles, and webinars with Q&A sessions are great for the Consideration phase. For those in the Decision phase, offer comparison charts, free trials, case studies, and live demos to show them your specific remedies.
Enhancing your content using relevant keywords and phrases will help make it easier for software leads to find you in online searches. Work with your marketing group to identify the major topics your target market is looking for online. You can use tools like Wordstream, SERPs, or Moz to do keyword research study. To boost your chances of SEO success, it’s a good idea to use long-tail phrases that don’t have much competition. Don’t just use this research for online search, but take your findings and use the relevant topics to create new content around topics people want.
There are many ways to use LinkedIn to bring in more software leads. First, you should optimize your account to show potential customers what value you offer. List your achievements and show your accreditations. You can also bring in new leads by sharing relevant content on LinkedIn Pulse, placing you as an authority in your market. Stay away from boring topics like “top errors” and “how to” posts that swarm LinkedIn. Instead, choose topics that are outside the box and interesting. Sign up for LinkedIn groups to connect with leads even more. As you react to their comments, people will see you as an authority in the industry and will think of you when they need something. Share your content on the LinkedIn feed to bring even more people to your B2B software site.
A Social Media Examiner report found that 19% of organizations consider visuals at the top of the pack in terms of useful types of content. Photos will help get the interest of your target markets and will improve the chances of them reading your content. Breaking up big blocks of content with images or graphics will help keep their attention and help them better understand. High-quality photos of your product or solution will also make your offers more appealing and will boost your chances of making a sale.
One of the most effective ways of building a lasting connection with your leads is by starting an opt-in newsletter. You can use the e-newsletter to inform leads on relevant topics that will help their buying choice. To boost your open rates, make sure the subject lines are engaging and related to the content. They should also be personalized to the lead. Make the content as quick and easy-to-read as possible and include a call-to-action at the end.
B2B content doesn’t always need to be formal and official. Like Microsoft, you can share stories of your staff, your products, and your company. This will help humanize your business and build a stronger connection with your potential customers. You can also ask current customers to share their own stories on your site. This is a great way to broaden your target market and get to more people.
Getting recommendations from a third-party is a great way to bring in new leads. When you make a sale, incentivize or just ask the customer to refer a friend that might be interested in the product or service. Chances are high that the referral will be to someone who is considering making a purchase.
The ideas above are part of the inbound technique. Inbound includes understanding the point-of-view of the qualified lead and giving them valuable information and educational content. It’s vital that every part of your sales process is customer-centered, since that is how you will build trust with your potential customers.
It’s a lot of work to do this by yourself. Responsify helps B2B software sales and business development pros by offering strategy, support, and help in executing Inbound. By working together, we help marketing and salespeople bring in new site visitors, turn them into qualified leads, and then happy customers.
We’ve helped many sales pros like you integrate Inbound into their process. Schedule a free strategy session to help get better ideas on how to get more leads and turn them into happy customers!
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